Stepladder attachment



Dec. 7, 1937.

A. DE FRANCO STEPLADDER ATTACHMENT Filed July 5, 1955 Z m 3 4 m a ll '1-4 H 5 fl. r r 4.

- lNVENTOR Patented Dec. 7, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 7 2,101,245 STEPLADDERATTACHMENT Anthony De Franco, Euclid, Ohio Application July 5, 1935,SerialNo. 29,892

' GClaims." (crate-23s) ..'I'hisinvention relates to a step ladderattachment which is adapted for use in supporting a scaffold...

In the work. of paperhangersy. painters, and

- the like, it has been common practice to support a .board upon thecorresponding stepsof two step ladders'so. as'to provide a scaffold.However,-ofttimes the steps .of' the step ladder do not: happen to .belocated .at the exact level at which'it is desired to-place. the'boardfor the scaffold.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to devise anattachment which can be readily and quickly applied to 'orremoved from astep ladder at any desired elevation, that'is, at

elevations between the regular steps of the ordinarystep .ladder, onesuch attachment being adapted to support theone end portion ofthe boardfor the scafiold whilea duplicate attachment at the sameelevationuponanother step ladder will serve to support the other end portion of. theboard. 1

Another object isto devise such an attachment which can be extended andcontracted so as'to,

permit the same to be readily and effectively applied to the stepladder. I .A further object is to. provide such an attachment whichuwhenapplied to the step ladder will be caused to effectively engagethe sideportions of the ladder when weight. is applied to'the scaffold .so as'tothereby insure the same against accidentaldislodgement.

A still further objectpisto provide such. a device which is particularlyadapted for ready andsecure application to the side portions of the stepladder which is also especially adapted to receive and support the boardof the scaffold.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims whenconsidered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 illustrates my improved device applied to a step ladder and themanner of using the same for the purpose intended;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of my improved attachment with part broken away;

Fig. 3 is a View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a threaded nut which is applied to eachinner end of the intermediate square tubing; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the intermediate square tubing.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is merely forpurposes of illustration and that various other modifications may bemade without departing. fromthe spirit of the present invention ashereinset forth and claimed.

Referring tothe' drawing, there is illustrated the conventional form ofstep ladder in which the side inclined portions I have the regular steps5 2. As above explained, it has been common practice to place a board 3upon the steps 2 so as to form, a temporary-scaffold for various kindsof interior decoration.

The present attachment comprises duplicate 10 end members 4 ofsubstantially J-shape which are adapted to engage and to be clampedabout the side portions l of the ladder. It will be observed that themembers 4 arebent in angular form so as to snugly engage about the frontand 5 rear edges and the corners and. outer face of the side portions lof the ladder. The one end of the member 4 in each case, terminates justwithin the side portion I while the longer end portion of the member 4is threaded, as indicated 20 by reference numeral 4'.

The threaded portions 4' of the members 4 cooperate with an intermediatemember which comprises the hollow squared tubular member 5 in the twoends of Which there are welded the 25 threaded square nuts 6 so as toreceive the threads 4 of the members4. It should be explained that thethreads 4' on one of the members 4 are right-hand while the threads onthe other member 4 are left-hand so that the en- 30 gagement of thethreads on these two members 4 by the nuts. 6 in the intermediate member5 togetherconstitute a turnbuckle connection by which the device isrendered adjustable. When, it is desired to apply my attachment 35 to astep ladder, the intermediate member 5 is turned so as toextend themembers 4 and thus permit application of the members 4 about the sideportions l of the ladder at the elevation desired. Then upon turning theintermediate mem- 40 her 5 in the opposite direction after the manner ofa turnbuckle connection, the members'4 may be drawn together so as to besecurely clamped about the side members I. As will be understood,duplicate attachments are applied 45 in the same manner and at the samelevel upon the two step ladders. The intermediate member 5 extendsparallel to the regular steps 2 of the step ladder and serves as atemporary auxiliary step. 50

The primary purpose of the square form of the tubular member 5 is tofacilitate the supporting engagement of the board 3 thereupon.Furthermore, the square form of the member 5 facilitates application ofthe nuts 6 in the ends 55 thereof in a secure manner, and the engagementof the member 5 by the hand of the user for turning the same is alsofacilitated by the square form thereof.

As above explained, this attachment is open at the rear since the rearend portions of the members extend inwardly only to a limited extent.Consequently the end portion of the board, in each case, is supportedonly by the squared intermediate member 5 and as a result theapplication of weight upon the board 3 will cause an effective bindingengagement between the members 4 and the edges of the inclined sideportions I of the ladders. This cooperation is made possible by the factthat the weight upon the board 3 and hence upon the intermediate portion5 is in a vertical direction whereas the side portions I of the ladderare inclined. Thus, the weight upon the scaffold will cause the frontand rear portions of the members 4 to have effective looking or bindingengagement downwarclly and upwardly with the front and rear edges,respectively, of the side portions I of the ladder in each case, inaddition to the inward clamping engagement against the outer surfaces ofthe side members i.

As above explained, the turnbuckle connection permits the necessaryadjustment and hence permits adaptation of this attachment to differentsizes of step ladders. And, due to the manner of engagement of themembers 4 withthe side members i, the same device can be employed uponany and all sizes of ladders.

Thus, I have provided an attachment which is of comparatively simpleconstruction. and hence not costly to manufacture and which can beconveniently applied to a step ladder at any point desired witheifective engagement therewith and without danger of accidentaldislodgement. The convenience of such an attachment will be understoodfrom the above explanation and the various advantages resultingtherefrom will readily suggest themselves to those who are familiar withthe art to relates.

What I claim is: 7

1. The combination of a substantially vertically disposed step ladderand detachable scaffold supporting means arranged entirely beween theregular steps of the ladder, said means having a portion extendingacross the front of the ladder and in parallel vertically spacedrelation to the steps and having front and rear end portions engagingthe front and rear edges of the inclined sides of the ladder so as to betilted which this invention against and thereby have binding engagementwith said edges when the front portion thereof is subjected to weightupon the scaffold supported thereby, and adjustable clamping means fortransverse engagement between said scafioldsupporting means and theinclined sides of the ladder.

2. An attachment for a step ladder, comprising substantially J-shapedend members with transversely arranged shank arms and an intermediatemember having extensible co-axialengagement with the corresponding shankarms of the end members, said end members being adapted for clampingengagement about the outer face of the inclined sides of a step ladder,and said intermediate member being adapted to support a scaffold.

3. An attachment for a. step ladder comprising substantially J-shapedend members and an. intermediate member having turnbuckle engagementwith the corresponding arms of the end members, said end members beingadapted for clamping engagement about the inclined sides of a stepladder, and said intermediate member being adapted to support ascaifold.

4. An attachment for a step ladder, comprising substantially J-shapedend members and an intermediate member having a flat side and beingprovided with threaded engagement at the ends thereof for turnbuckleengagement with the corresponding arms of the end members, said endmembers being adapted for clamping engagement about the inclined sidesof a step ladder, and said intermediate member being adapted to supporta scaffold.

5. An attachment for a step ladder, comprising end members withtransversely arranged shank arms and a single intermediate member havingco-axially extensible engagement with the corresponding shank arms ofthe end members, said end members being adapted for clamping engagementwith the inclined sides of a step ladder, and said intermediate memberbeing adapted to support a scaffold.

6. An attachment for a step ladder, comprising end members withtransversely arranged shank arms and a single intermediate member havingco-axially rotatable extensible engagement with the corresponding shankarms of the end members, said end members being adapted for clampingengagement with the inclined sides of a stepladder, and saidintermediate member being adapted to support a scaffold.

ANTHONY DE FRANCO.

